For the purpose of diagnosis of disease, etc., radiation image captured using radiation such as X-ray images are widely used. Conventionally, such medical radiation images are captured using screen film. However, in order to digitalize radiation images, a CR (Computed Radiography) device which uses a photostimulable phosphor sheet has been developed. Recently, a radiation image capturing device which detects the emitted radiation with a radiation detecting element and obtains the digital image data has been developed.
Such type of radiation image capturing device is known as an FPD (Flat Panel Detector). Such device can display image data more speedily than the CR device and therefore can contribute to early diagnosis. Conventionally, such device was developed as a dedicated device formed as one with a supporting stage, etc. (for example, see patent documents 1, 2). Lately, a portable radiation image capturing device in which the radiation detecting element, etc. can be stored in a housing to be transportable is developed and in practical use (for example, see patent documents 3, 4).
Various radiation image capturing devices are developed such as a direct radiation image capturing device in which charge generated in a detecting element according to the amount of emitted radiation such as X-ray is converted to an electric signal. Another is an indirect radiation image capturing device in which after the emitted radiation is converted to an electromagnetic wave of another wavelength such as a visible light with a scintillator, etc., charge is generated in a photoelectric converting element such as photodiode, etc. according to energy of the converted and emitted electromagnetic wave and converted to an electric signal. In the present invention, the detecting element in the direct radiation image capturing device and the photoelectric converting element in the indirect radiation image capturing device are collectively referred to as a radiation detecting element.
When a body, etc. of a patient is captured in a hospital or clinic using a dedicated device or a portable radiation image capturing device, a radiation image capturing system may be configured where a radiation image capturing device is provided or brought in the capturing room in the hospital or clinic and a console provided outside the capturing room is used to control the radiation image capturing device or the radiation generating device to capture the radiation image.
Such radiation image capturing system is usually configured to perform radiation image capturing based on the later described capturing order information (for example, see FIG. 13). The image capturing order information sets information, instructions, etc. regarding the radiation image capturing performed in the capturing room determined based on inquiry to the patient. For example, specified and registered are items such as patient information such as patient ID, etc., capturing conditions such as portion of body of patient to be captured and capturing direction, device information specifying device to be used.
The console may be configured to control the radiation image capturing device and the radiation generating device based on each piece of image capturing order information selected by the doctor or radiation technologist.
In the radiation image capturing system described in patent document 5, for example, it is proposed to display in a list each piece of image capturing order information regarding the patient who comes as a switch on the display unit of the console so that the radiology technologist can select any image capturing order information from the switches of each piece of image capturing order information displayed in a list in an order such as from a setting where capturing can be performed easily.
As described in patent document 5, for example, when image capturing of “cervical vertebra front face”, “cervical vertebra side face”, “cervical vertebra right rear oblique”, “cervical vertebra open mouth” is performed on the patient, image capturing can be performed efficiently if “cervical vertebra open mouth” which is captured in a state where the patient is lying (in other words, lying position), after “cervical vertebra front face”, “cervical vertebra side face”, “cervical vertebra right rear oblique” which are captured in a state where the patient is standing (in other words, standing position) (or image capturing in a reverse order).
Even if the order of the image capturing order information displayed as a list on the display unit of the console is “cervical vertebra front face”, “cervical vertebra open mouth”, “cervical vertebra side face”, “cervical vertebra right rear oblique”, according to the radiation image capturing system described in Patent Document 5, for example, the order of “cervical vertebra front face”→“cervical vertebra side face”→“cervical vertebra right rear oblique” can be selected and then “cervical vertebra open mouth” can be selected. Therefore, image capturing can be performed efficiently.